The way people view and control information may change next year as Facebook unveils its new approach to user privacy settings.
Beginning Jan. 1, Facebook’s updated terms and policies will aim to help users better understand how to control their information with the introduction of “Privacy Basics.” A public announcement said the social networking site aims to help users get the experience they want while providing them ways to protect their privacy.
“Now, with Privacy Basics, you’ll get tips and a how-to guide for taking charge of your experience on Facebook,” the social media site’s public announcement said. “We’re also updating our terms, data policy and cookies policy to reflect new features we’ve been working on and to make them easy to understand.”
The site will provide interactive guides to answer commonly asked questions about how to control personal information on the site. These guides, available in 36 languages, will allow users to learn more about untagging, unfriending, blocking and more.
“Privacy Basics is the latest step we’ve taken to help you make sure you’re sharing with the people what you want,” Facebook’s announcement said.
Lacey Baze, assistant director of product strategy and communications for Texas A&M Information Technology, said the privacy guides should make it easier for students to manage their privacy settings.
Baze said Facebook’s new Privacy Basics dashboard makes it easier for users, especially busy students, to manage their privacy settings in one place.
“However, users have little control over what information Facebook shares with its advertisers,” Baze said. “They currently track your online activity and use that information for advertising on Facebook, unless you explicitly opt out of the tracking.”
Baze said such an opt-out requires users to visit a third-party website and change the settings on their mobile phone.
“We encourage everyone to take a close look at their social media settings to ensure you control what you, and with whom, you are sharing,” Baze said.
The updated policies explain how Facebook receives location information. Facebook is also working on ways to display information to users based on their location and where a user’s friends are.
“For example, in the future, if you decide to share where you are, you might see menus from restaurants nearby or updates from friends in the area,” Facebook’s announcement said.
Jacob Gritte, petroleum engineering junior, said he did not fully understand Facebook’s past privacy policies and was unsure of how to get user information.
“Facebook’s Privacy Basics has allowed me to better understand how Facebook retrieves information, as well as how I can control my own personal information,” Gritte said.
After receiving user feedback, Facebook created the option to opt out of some advertising. Facebook made changes so users now have greater control over how ads are displayed on their personal devices.